Mycoses are caused by yeasts and lower fungi. Only approximately 300 varieties of the known approximately 10,000 varieties of fungi are pathogenic for humans. Their noxious effect is based, on the one hand, on the direct attack on living tissue and on the other hand, on the production of mycotoxins and their indirect effect, such as the inducement of allergies. Based on the site of infection, a differentiation is made between systemic and superficial mycoses.
Candida is a genus of asporogenic blastomyces with numerous possibly pathogenic species. The most common pathogens of candidiasis are, amongst others, C. albicans, C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, C. pseudotropicalis, C. pulcherrima, C. stellatoidea, C. glabrata and C. tropicalis. 
Candidamycoses are opportunistic mycoses (fungal diseases) caused by candida species, mostly by Candida albicans, which can manifest as cutaneous or mucocutaneous disease, particularly as stomatitis (thrush), esophagitis, diaper erythema or vulvovaginitis. They can also manifest systemically as life-threatening generalized candidosis, especially in neonates and patients whose immunocompetence is disturbed. This occurs particularly when cytostatics or antibiotics, steroids or hormones are administered or in the case of parenteral nutrition, malignant diseases, endocrinopathies or immunodefects. Recently, the occurrence of nosocomial mycoses caused by Candida has increased significantly (see e.g. Dole{hacek over (z)}al, {hacek over (C)}eská a Slovenská farmacie, Vol. LI, 5th edition, September 2002, p. 226-235) and these mycoses are an important cause of the morbidity and the mortality particularly of hospital inpatients.
While there is a large choice of active substances for the treatment of superficial mycoses, the possibilities for treating systemic mycoses are very limited.
The role of genetic engineering in the development of new therapeutic agents against fungal infections is summarized in the article by Korabe{hacek over (c)}ná et al., Epidemiol. Microbiol. Immunol., 52, 2003, No. 1, p. 25-33.
As already described above, the occurrence of fungal infections has increased dramatically over the last years. This is in particular due to the continuously increasing number of patients having a suppressed immune system, such as transplant recipients, cancer and HIV patients. On the other hand, the wide spread use of broad-spectrum antimycotics has resulted in a great number of resistant pathogen strains, which further aggravates the situation (see e.g. Jarvis et al., Clinical Infectious Disease, 1995, 20, p. 1526-30; Beck-Sague et al., The Journal of Infectious Disease, 1993, 167, p. 1247-51; Gottfredson et al., Pathology, 30, 1998, p. 405-418; Tom{hacek over (s)}iková et al., Epidemiol. Microbiol. Immunol., 51, 2002, No. 3, p. 119-124; Rex et al., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 39, 1995, p. 1-8; Kunová, Epidemiol. Microbiol. Immunol., 51, 2002, No. 3, p. 131-134).
The most frequent fungal infection in humans, however, is a vaginal fungal infection. In this context, it is problematic that such infections very often become chronic and that in these cases antimycotics, which are administered locally and mostly over a longer period of time, often remain without effect.
The preparation of therapeutic agents against mycoses on an immunological basis is dealt with, amongst others, in Bernardis et al., Infection and Immunity, February 1994, p. 509-519; Bernardis et al., Infection and Immunity, August 1997, p. 3399-3404; de Bernardis et al., Infection and Immunity, June 2000, p. 3297-3304; Martinez et al., Clinical Microbiology Reviews, January 1998, p. 121-141; Polonelli et al., Med. Mycol., 2000, 38, Suppl. 1: 281-292; Medling et al., Mycoses, 1966, 39, p. 177-183 and Odds F. C. in Candida and Candidosis; 2nd ed. 1988, Baillière Tindal W. B. Saunders, London.
Hence, for some time, intensive efforts have been made to develop a vaccine against fungal infections, in particular against Candida infections. The approaches are manifold.
Thus, CS 277 558 describes a vaccine for peroral and/or local treatment of chronic vaginitis and other chronic mucosal inflammations caused by yeasts wherein the vaccine can also be used in combination with antimycotics. This vaccine contains 3 Candida albicans strains (CA 37, CA 91 and CA 120), a Candida krusei strain (CK 9), a Candida glabrata strain (TG 15) and 3 Propionibacterium acnes strains (PA 3, PA 17 and PA 530).
RU 2185842 describes a preparation from Bacillus subtilis optionally in combination with Bifidobacterium bifidum and/or Lactobacilli strains for the treatment of urogenital infections that are caused, amongst others, by Candida. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,309, US 2002/0160009A1 and WO 00/52053 describe the use of phosphomannan from Candida albicans for the therapy of Candida infections and also, amongst others, the use of monoclonal antibodies for passive immunisation against Candida infections.
A vaccine without adjuvant, which is to be applied enterally and contains killed microrganisms capable of infecting the vagina, such as Candida albicans, Gardnerella vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhoea, Trichomonas vaginalis or Herpes genitalis is disclosed in WO 96/07426.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,853 describes, amongst others, a formulation for the treatment of urogenital infections in form of a suppository containing 8 to 14 different inactivated uropathogenic bacteria strains of the species Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus morganii and Streptococcus faecalis. 
Antibody and antigen containing microparticles for passive or active immunisation of the female genital tract are the subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,763. U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,639 describes the use of a polypeptide sequence from Candida having high homology to known stress proteins of other organisms and antibodies produced therewith for the therapy and diagnosis of mycoses, in particular of Candida mycoses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,748, on the other hand, discloses a method for the production of immune biological preparations for the diagnosis, prophylaxis and/or therapy of Candida  guilliermondii infections.